This year I am really enjoying watching my kids play sports. It has evolved from an activity to an actual show of skill and understanding of their respective games.

My 7th grade son is developing into a pretty darn good football player. I love watching him tackle, run through a line and go for the end zone. And my 4th grader can boot a soccer ball from one end to another, and he is one fast little man when he sees a goal in sight.

Being of fairly competitive nature myself (okay some would say really competitive), I am not one of those moms sitting on the sidelines and worrying about my son getting hurt. I say if you are going to play…play. However, that is changing just a bit.

In the past few weeks I have seen a handful of my sons teammates fall to the sidelines with breaks and fractures. Some from big hits, some from a mere missteps. Boom out for the season. (Not to mention a damper on the end of summer fun). This had made me realize this is no time to fall lax on the nutrition focus.

My philosophy for kid’s nutrition is as long as the good stuff goes in; it is okay to have some of the bad stuff too (Chips and Slurpees anyone?). Much to my kids’ dismay, here I go again ramping up the good stuff.

Kids are going to play hard, so give them, the bone building leg up they need to run, kick, tackle and most importantly stay healthy and active all year long.

Keep Calcium Rich Foods on Hand: Calcium is the building block for strong bones and teeth. The RDA for Calcium intake for kids 9-18 is 1,300 mgs a day. It is preferable that this comes from food sources first, supplementing only if needed. Good sources include:

Cheese cubes and string cheese (1oz=200mgs)

Yogurt (8oz=300mgs)

Cereal (3/4cup of total plus=1,000mgs)

Broccoli with yogurt dip 91/2 cup=60mgs)

Calcium-fortified orange juice (6oz.=250)

Calcium-fortified tortillas/bread/pasta

Almond Milk (1cup=460 mgs). Great milk alternative too.

Kale Yes I had to add it) 1cup=80mgs. Put it in a smoothie if you have too.

Add Vitamin D: Vitamin D is crucial to the absorption of calcium. Research is finding many kids fall short of the RDA of 400IU a day of this vitamin. Food sources are hard to come by and are not all that kid friendly. (Think Sardines and mackerel). So look for cereals and juices fortified with vitamin D. And of course 20 minutes a day of sun on the face and arms helps too.

Keep them Active and Smoke Free. Need I say more?

The end game is to keep them strong, and keep them healthy. And yes, sometimes that means a calcium rich cheese pizza.